The Things We Keep: A Novel Summary
Sally Hepworth

The Things We Keep: A Novel Overview

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth is a novel told from the perspectives of Anna Forster, an early-onset Alzheimer’s patient, Eve Bennett, the widow of a corrupt businessman, and Clementine Bennett, Eve’s daughter. The story details how Anna acclimates into Rosalind, an assisted care facility. Her story intertwines with Eve, who is the cook at Rosalind, and Clementine. Told from the past and present, this story follows the love affair between Anna and Luke, a dementia patient. Although the narrators are all dealing with various elements of grief in their own way, they find that their love for each other and for others helps them to move on. The themes that appear in this novel include: names and identity, fate and control, hope and optimism, grief, and memory.